Stephen Enoch

[Go_Huskies]

In case anyone is actually curious on how Enoch is doing, Christian Vital, who is best friends with Enoch, addresses it here:

UConn players, coaches react to scandal that’s rocked college basketball world

I guess they wait for the player to initiate that he is dirty. If the player doesn't bring up money the coaches don't.

 

[intlzncster]

Agreed, Enoch just doesn't have "it." "It" being the intangible that makes people great competitors and maximize their potential. Vance Jackson could shoot but was lacking the athleticism to be an all-conference type of guy but I definitely think he could have been very productive. Durham, I really thought that guy had the potential to be big time all-conference or even all-American type of player.

If Vance and his dad had the right attitude about UCONN and his role, he had potential to be an all conference guy his Jr/Sr year. He had really nice skills. His lack of top level athleticism wasn't a huge issue, given his size and other abilities imo.

 

[RichZ]

Ring-ring..Ring-ring... Phil Nolan calling

Not.
Even.
Close.

 

[AntG168]

Yup. If he stays healthy he'll be a stud for ND.

We'll see. I'm not and never have been sold on Durham

 

[RichZ]

Durham, I really thought that guy had the potential to be big time all-conference or even all-American type of player.

Durham looked like he had game. He'd swish threes in warmups and jump high for boards.
In warmups.
In games, not so much.
He reminded me of the reasonably sharp looking guy in high school who talked a good 'game' with the chicks, flirted a lot, but when he actually got one in the back seat, he couldn't get her bra undone, and soiled his undies five minutes in.

If he ever stops being tentative in game situations, he might just be a star. But I still wouldn't want the ball in his hands down one with 3 seconds on the clock.

 

[upstater]

Enoch will only be saved if they get the death penalty. Then he could leave without losing a year. But that won't happen anytime soon.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Agreed, Enoch just doesn't have "it." "It" being the intangible that makes people great competitors and maximize their potential. Vance Jackson could shoot but was lacking the athleticism to be an all-conference type of guy but I definitely think he could have been very productive. Durham, I really thought that guy had the potential to be big time all-conference or even all-American type of player.

That "it" is basketball IQ and competitiveness.

 

[Burnsbros23]

Durham had been out two years and tore both ACL's. It was always going to take time. By the time he suits up for ND, he will have played very limited for the last four years. If he could stay healthy he could have a nice junior and senior season.

 

[champs99and04]

I am quite sure that KO did not waste much energy in keeping him at UConn. The kid had offensive potential but simply did not exert energy on D. He was going to UL, I think on say so of his Dad, as a "stick that" message to KO. But in reality I could only see him as practice fodder. I really wanted to see him get better at UConn but after watching him on the bench at games and he and Durham would be screwing around - I knew he wasn't long for UConn. Of the 3 that left the one that still has me scratching my head is Durham - KO stuck with him but I guess loyalty means zilch. Jackson was a goner - played 100s of minutes more than anyone would have expected but decided he was bigger than UConn - New Mexico - yeah now that's big time.
In the end it looks like UConn came out the winner with the departure of the 3.

You have an interesting definition of "end" given the fact that absolutely nothing has changed since their departures aside from UConn fans talking themselves into the them being better off (and I've sort of been one of them, but I still think we're being ridiculously premature here). We're a lot closer to the beginning than the end.

With regards to Enoch, the sentiment that he's somehow done something wrong here and 'deserves' his fate is dumb. It's exactly this sort of bureaucratic attitude that the NCAA counts on from fans when it comes to stripping players of their basic rights. Just because it's not our guy this time doesn't mean it's not still part of the same propaganda that has hurt UConn way more than helped. I'm not a proponent of eliminating the one year rule for transfers, but he's a victim of all this other stuff and deserves to leave after this year and play right away if he wants to.

 

[champs99and04]

Durham had been out two years and tore both ACL's. It was always going to take time. By the time he suits up for ND, he will have played very limited for the last four years. If he could stay healthy he could have a nice junior and senior season.

It must suck to be on your way to the NBA and then tear your ACL a second time, only to read from people a couple years later when you're struggling to recover that are "struck" by you being soft and noncompetitive.

I consider myself a pretty competitive person and I could absolutely see how tearing my ACL would induce some level of apathy in everything I do, especially when I'm playing guys that are older and more physically mature than me. And he tore it twice.

Now, I think his decision to transfer was a terrible move, and there might be some truth to the rumblings that he wasn't exactly a model of maturity during his one year in Storrs, but all of this revisionist stuff about how he was a soft player strikes me as nonsense. He barely played and when he did, his leash was incredibly short.

 

[Go_Huskies]

It must suck to be on your way to the NBA and then tear your ACL a second time, only to read from people a couple years later when you're struggling to recover that are "struck" by you being soft and noncompetitive.

I consider myself a pretty competitive person and I could absolutely see how tearing my ACL would induce some level of apathy in everything I do, especially when I'm playing guys that are older and more physically mature than me. And he tore it twice.

Now, I think his decision to transfer was a terrible move, and there might be some truth to the rumblings that he wasn't exactly a model of maturity during his one year in Storrs, but all of this revisionist stuff about how he was a soft player strikes me as nonsense. He barely played and when he did, his leash was incredibly short.

There should be a rule that if you call another man soft you should have to do it in his face not on an anonymous internet forum.

 

[Milo65]

Who's Enoch?

 

[intlzncster]

Durham looked like he had game. He'd swish threes in warmups and jump high for boards.
In warmups.
In games, not so much.
He reminded me of the reasonably sharp looking guy in high school who talked a good 'game' with the chicks, flirted a lot, but when he actually got one in the back seat, he couldn't get her bra undone, and soiled his undies five minutes in.

If he ever stops being tentative in game situations, he might just be a star. But I still wouldn't want the ball in his hands down one with 3 seconds on the clock.

Guy hadn't played much in two years, had yet to gain confidence in his knees, and came back w a transition a big jump to high major D1 ball. Now he's got a full year to get his feet under him and gain some needed strength. He'll be fine.

 

[Allbite]

meh, I'm interested to see what happens with Louisville, but I don't really care if he fades into "Bolivian" (as Tyson would say).

Him, Jackson, and Durham all struck me as incredibly entitled guys. Enoch had McHale's moves but couldn't finish to save his life. Durham looked tentative. And none of them played defense.

Enoch made his choice, he's gotta live with the consequences.

I agree no biggie about Jackson and Enoch. Not sure what kind of kid Durham was, but that kid could play, and it bewildered me that he didn't get more time. The kid that is now going to Providence was a loss, too, but it looks like they've now more than made up for it.

 

[mauconnfan]

Not going to read a lot of these but here's my scoop. He made my FY, their coach look like he wasn't capable of improving his status in the basketball world. He didn't mention he wasn't 10 toes in ever so you know what Who cares?

 

[Fishy]

Enoch would have done very well with Pitino - there aren’t many better coaches out there.

However, now, he’s screwed.

He gets to be coached by David Padgett this year and then he’ll have two years of coaching from whichever off-the-rebound retread Louisville hires to guide them through the coming purgatory.

My daughter taught herself to play the ukulele by watching YouTube videos. Enoch might have to do that to learn to play center.

(The NCAA really has to give these UL kids a transfer waiver...this is uncharted territory.)

 

[Leebo]

I know it's pretty standard to give waivers when postseason bans are given, but do they not do something similar for coach firings? Seems like it would be unfair not to. At least when it's ethics and not just game performance.

 

[Fishy]

I know it's pretty standard to give waivers when postseason bans are given, but do they not do something similar for coach firings? Seems like it would be unfair not to. At least when it's ethics and not just game performance.

Actually, a player can only get a transfer waiver if their eligibility is expiring in the same season as the post-season ban.

E.g. Alex Oriakhi was immediately eligible at Missouri while Roscoe Smith had to sit a year in residence at UNLV.

Coach firings, probation, bed bugs and other issues are not cause for a waiver.

Oddly, however, I think Enoch could transfer to ONE school and be eligible immediately - UConn.

If you transfer and you don’t play or practice for more than a two week period, you can head back to your original school without penalty. Given that today is only the first day of practice and assuming the offseason workouts do not count, Enoch could roll back there, enroll in the second semester and play immediately.

 

[Leebo]

Ah, yeah, that's rough. They're considering ending the year wait anyway, but it won't be in time for Louisville.

 

[temery]

Actually, a player can only get a transfer waiver if their eligibility is expiring in the same season as the post-season ban.

E.g. Alex Oriakhi was immediately eligible at Missouri while Roscoe Smith had to sit a year in residence at UNLV.

Coach firings, probation, bed bugs and other issues are not cause for a waiver.

Oddly, however, I think Enoch could transfer to ONE school and be eligible immediately - UConn.

If you transfer and you don’t play or practice for more than a two week period, you can head back to your original school without penalty. Given that today is only the first day of practice and assuming the offseason workouts do not count, Enoch could roll back there, enroll in the second semester and play immediately.

Is UConn allowed to call him and point this out?

 

[Fishy]

Is UConn allowed to call him and point this out?

No.

But you are!

 

[Kitaman]

A young kid made an unfortunate decision/mistake. History has just been made, let the vilifying begin. Please let all adults and parents post first, then the finger pointing 'I told you so', then lets open it to all the others for a bash festival.

 

[temery]

A young kid made an unfortunate decision/mistake. History has just been made, let the vilifying begin. Please let all adults and parents post first, then the finger pointing 'I told you so', then lets open it to all the others for a bash festival.

This is the boneyard. It'll all happen at once.

 

[djct1999]

On the court, there weren't many better than Pitino. So I have my doubts that Pitino looked at Enoch's game film and felt he had a player. My guess, from Day 1, was this was some sort of favor, not really related to Enoch's ability . As we know and have seen, that ceiling is relatively low.

 

[ktuck911]

On the court, there weren't many better than Pitino. So I have my doubts that Pitino looked at Enoch's game film and felt he had a player. My guess, from Day 1, was this was some sort of favor, not really related to Enoch's ability . As we know and have seen, that ceiling is relatively low.

Reeediculous comment.